When is it safe to neuter? Most female rabbits should be spayed at four months of age. Male rabbits can be neutered as soon as their testicles descend, at about 10-14 weeks of age. Some veterinarians feel more comfortable waiting until males are a minimum of three months of age. Older rabbits can also be neutered if they are in good health. Since females are prone to developing reproductive organ cancers, there is even more reason to spay an older intact female, to remove any cancer that may have already developed. You will want to have your older rabbit examined and a blood test done prior to neuter, and we do recommend that neutering of older rabbits be done by a specialist with a high success rate.

Pre Operation: Your rabbit should NOT be fasted prior to the operation. Instead, try to get your rabbit to eat something as close to the time of operation as possible, and bring along some of your bunny’s food in case there’s a wait. To minimize stress, do not leave your rabbit at the neuter clinic or veterinary hospital any more in advance of the operation than is absolutely necessary. Rabbits should be transported in a hard plastic carrier with liner such as artificial lambswool to keep them from sliding around and soiling themselves as they wait for surgery or are transported back home. When transporting, be aware that rabbits overheat easily–never leave a rabbit in a closed vehicle.

How much should you expect to pay? Costs vary between $55 for a low-cost neuter to $500 for a spay done by an exotic specialist. There is minimal financial aid available at this time.

Neutering not only helps curb overpopulation of domestic rabbits, it dramatically decreases the chance of reproductive cancers, makes litter box training easier, and reduces chewing and territorial behavior, such as spraying. Veterinarian information is provided to give you the information you need to further investigate who offers spay/neuter services for rabbits and is not an endorsement.

Financial aid:
At this time, there is limited financial aid available for rabbit neuters.

Actors & Others: (818) 755-6045

Please note: Rabbits should never be fasted (have food or water removed) before surgery. If you contact a clinic and are told to fast your rabbit, do not take your bunny there! Be aware that there are clinics that claim to “do rabbits” but they tend to have a high mortality rate. Rabbits are delicate and you must follow post-operative instructions.

Rabbit Health

Educate yourself about the most common rabbit health issues.

This section is intended to provide general information about rabbit health risks. It does not substitute for a trip to your veterinarian or more in-depth study of rabbit health concerns. Furthermore, we are focusing on the most common life-threatening concerns. We recommend that everyone who has a rabbit read Rabbit Health in the 21st Century and the 4th edition of The House Rabbit Handbook.

It’s up to you to make sure that you’ve done your homework to help your rabbit, should she develop a health problem. Choose your veterinarian wisely, and treat her or him with respect, but don’t be afraid to get a second opinion and do your own research. We also recommend that you have alternative veterinarians in case your primary vet is unavailable, and that you consider in advance what you will do if your rabbit has an after-hours emergency.

Here are some of the most common problems we see in domestic rabbits:

GI hypomotility (also known as GI stasis, or ileus, or “a hairball”)
This occurs when a rabbit’s digestive system slows down. There may be a buildup of gas, causing pain and inappetance. There is already a ton of information on this subject at www.rabbit.org and other internet sites. Search for “GI stasis in rabbits” and read; the best known article is “GI Stasis: the Silent Killer” by Dana Krempels, PhD. GI hypomotility is a very common problem and often unnecessarily fatal.

Overheating
Any temperature over 80 degrees Fahrenheit can be dangerous for a rabbit. See our heat warning section for more detailed information and tips on how to keep your rabbit cool during the summer months or whenever there are unexpected spikes in temperature.

Injuries
Rabbits have a delicate spine and powerful back legs. As a result, when they are dropped or struggle to get free from being held, they can break their own backs. Before you adopt a rabbit, learn how to properly handle one. There are many demonstration videos on YouTube showing how you hold one hand under the rabbit’s front legs and another over the tail, holding the rabbit securely and firmly against your body. Never lift the rabbit with her front legs or with your hands around her belly; always support her spine and sternum (under the bones). Always have one hand supporting her back. We use the phrase “always support the back of the bunny” to reinforce this message.

If your rabbit is injured, you must take her to the veterinarian to assess the damage. X-rays are often necessary to determine the extent of injury, and a course of antibiotics may be necessary. It’s important to know that predator attacks can be fatal even if you see no injury to the rabbit. A cat’s mouth is teeming with bacteria that can be fatal to a rabbit, especially a baby, if the rabbit’s skin is broken. Raccoon attacks are often fatal even when the rabbit is not killed outright. You must keep your rabbit safe from predators! Rabbits can have heart attacks and die with absolutely no physical contact. This happens most often when rabbits are in backyard hutches, when a raccoon tries repeatedly to get at the rabbit. Another common problem with backyard rabbits or indoor rabbits that are not kept clean is fly strike, which can be fatal.

Poisoning/Change in diet
See our toxic plants list here. If you suspect your rabbit has eaten something toxic, call the poison control center or your veterinarian immediately. You can administer liquid charcoal and fluids if you have those on hand. Do not feed your rabbit human food or change your rabbit’s diet suddenly.

Tooth problems/malocclusion
You can look at your rabbit’s front teeth to see if she has incisor malocclusion, but your veterinarian will have to look at the back teeth with a scope. Signs that a rabbit might have molar problems include drooling or a slowdown in consumption of hay (or pellets) to a greater extent than veggies, or eating in a more gingerly fashion. When the back teeth cut into the gums and tongue, it becomes painful to eat hay; you may see your rabbit start to eat hay or pellets and then let them drop out of her mouth. It’s best to be proactive and have a wellness exam every year to detect problems before they impact your rabbit’s ability to eat.

URIs (upper respiratory infections), abscesses, and other problems caused by bacteria
Bacterial infections in rabbits are common. Rabbits will sometimes have long-term bacterial infections in their upper respiratory system. You should try to clear these up under the supervision of a veterinarian, with one or more courses of antibiotics. A culture and sensitivity test will help your veterinarian determine which antibiotics are likely to be effective. Sometimes rabbits get pneumonia, which probably rates as the “second silent killer” of rabbits after GI hypomotility since rabbits tend to hide their symptoms. Abscesses often have to be surgically removed and then treated aggressively with antibiotics. Head tilt is often caused by a bacterial infection or abscess. If left untreated, these problems can become serious. With proper treatment, however, many rabbits have recovered completely from head tilt, URIs (including the often misnamed “pasteurellosis”), abscesses (even the formerly dreaded “jaw bone abscess”) and have gone on to live long, healthy and happy lives.

Ear mites/fur mites
these are very easily treated but absolute misery for the rabbit when they are not. If your bunny has a crusty brown buildup in one or both ears and scratches them often, odds are she has ear mites. Fur mites are harder to detect; flakes and loss of hair are among the signs that your rabbit should see a veterinarian. The most common effective drug of choice now for treating ear mites or fur mites is selamectin. It is available only with a prescription from your veterinarian. Ivermectin is available without a prescription, however, it doesn’t have selamectin’s residual effect and has to be administered more often.

Defining an emergency:
Any change in your rabbit’s normal behavior should be cause for concern. The most serious is a change in appetite, or refusal to eat. Any time a rabbit refuses to eat for several hours at a time, it should be considered an emergency. Other signs of a health emergency include but are not limited to: lethargy, sitting in the litter box or in a corner for a prolonged period of time, head tilt, drooling, panting, tooth grinding (a sign of severe pain). As prey animals, rabbits hide symptoms of illness; if you detect that your rabbit is in pain, it’s probably extreme. If you have any doubt, consult with a veterinarian who has extensive experience treating rabbits.

Useful publications– Rabbit Health in the 21st Century – 4th edition of The House Rabbit Handbook.

Heat WarningTemperatures over 80º Fahrenheit can be dangerous for a rabbit. In hot weather, please observe the following to protect your bunny from overheating:

NEVER leave a rabbit unattended in your vehicle. Even with the windows down, cars heat up fast. When you transport your bunny to the veterinarian or pet-sitter, make sure you bring along frozen water bottles to place in the carrier in case of emergency. Avoid traveling with your rabbit in the middle of the day.

Housing a rabbit in an outdoor hutch is not recommended. If you absolutely cannot keep your rabbit indoors during the summer, make sure the hutch or outdoor run has adequate ventilation and is shaded throughout the entire day. When the outside temperature reaches 80º F or higher, place a jug of frozen water in the hutch to keep bunny cool. Wash a plastic jug or liter bottle, fill it 4/5ths full of water and put it in the freezer overnight. Be sure to have an extra bottle or two ready to swap out. Your rabbit will lie against the frozen bottles of water to cool off and drink the moisture off the sides of the bottle. Misters can also be used to cool the air around the rabbits (don’t train the misters on the rabbits unless it’s very hot). But keep in mind these measures may not be enough to protect your outdoor bunny if the temperatures get too high.

If your bunny lives indoors but you do not have air conditioning, keep her cool on hot days by placing bottles of frozen water in her living area. Cross-ventilate when possible by leaving windows partly open.

Provide water in heavy crocks if possible, rather than in water bottles with a sipper—rabbits drink more water from an open dish. The water crock must be heavy to prevent your rabbit from tipping it over. You can add ice cubes to the water to keep it cool longer while you are away at work. Water must be easily accessible; make sure if you do use a bottle that it’s at a comfortable height and your rabbit can drink (about 6-8 inches from the bottom of the cage or fence for an average-sized adult rabbit, lower for babies).

Place a ceramic tile or marble slab in the corner of your rabbit’s living area. The tile provides a cool spot for bunny to lie on. You can put the tile in the refrigerator or freezer to make it even cooler.

Rinse a towel with cold water, wring it out, and hang it in front of a fan so the cool air blows through it. Don’t train the fan directly on the rabbit, and make sure she doesn’t have access to the fan or electrical cord.

If you go on vacation, choose an experienced pet-sitter who knows how sensitive bunnies are to the heat.

To treat an overheated bunny, wipe cool water on her ears and wrap her in a cool, wet towel before rushing her to a rabbit-savvy veterinarian.

Veterinary Care

Find a veterinarian who specializes in rabbits and knows how to treat them.

IMPORTANT: We refer to the specific veterinarians listed here, NOT to the hospitals in general. Be sure to check out any rabbit veterinarian yourself before having him or her treat or diagnose your rabbit. This list is provided to give you the information you need to further investigate veterinarians who treat rabbits. It is not an endorsement of the veterinarians, clinics or organizations listed.

Be aware that rabbit veterinary care can be expensive. Consult a rabbit volunteer or go to www.rabbit.org for a referral.

Medical Emergencies

Rush your rabbit to the vet if you see: lack of appetite; diarrhea; few or no fecal pellets; listlessness; crusty ears; overgrown teeth, mucus around the eyes or nose; urine-soaked fur, straining to urinate; lump or swellings; head tilt; or any sudden behavior change. Rabbits don’t show illness like cats and dogs, so any perceived problem should be treated as an emergency. One skipped meal could mean your rabbit is in grave danger.

Call your regular veterinarian for a referral to an after-hours emergency clinic so that you are ready before an emergency occurs.

Treats include small slices of apple, pear or other fruit, or pieces of carrot. Do not feed human treats like crackers and cookies. Fresh water should be available at all times in a bowl or a water bottle. Please note: Rabbit digestion is very sensitive, so you must introduce new foods gradually. Young rabbits age 3 months and under should only be fed hay, rabbit pellets, and water, and NO FRUIT. See our diet sheet for more information.

General

An adult rabbit’s diet should be made up of water, hay, high quality pellets and fresh vegetables. Anything else is a treat and should be given in limited quantities. IMPORTANT: All dietary changes must be made gradually.

Pellets should be fresh and relatively high in fiber (18% minimum fiber). Do not purchase more than six weeks worth of food at a time, as it will become spoiled.

Hay should be available 24 hours a day. Hay is essential to a rabbit’s health. Hay provides roughage, which reduces the danger of hairballs and other blockages. Apple twigs also provide good roughage.

Salt licks are not necessary.

No nuts or seeds.

Variety yet consistency is key for vegetables. When shopping, look for both dark leafy vegetables and root vegetables.

Senior Rabbits

Note: When you feed a lower quantity of pellets, you must replace the nutritional value without the calories, which is done by increasing the vegetables. Also, hay must be encouraged all day. We do this by offering fresh hay a couple times per day.

Suggested Vegetables

Select at least 3 kinds of vegetables daily. A variety is necessary in order to obtain the essential nutrients. Pick one each day that contains vitamin A (indicated by an *). Add one vegetable to the diet at a time. Eliminate if it causes soft stools or diarrhea.

(*) contains vitamin A
(!) use sparingly. High in either oxalates or goitrogens and may be toxic in accumulated quantities over a period of time.

Suggested Fruits

Sugary fruits such as bananas and grapes should be used only sparingly, as occasional treats. Bunnies have a sweet tooth and if left to their own devices will devour sugary foods to the exclusion of healthy ones.

Toxic/Poisonous Plant List

Please note that the exclusion of a specific plant from this list does not mean that the plant is safe. If you suspect your rabbit has ingested an unsafe plant, please call your vet and/or your local poison control center or the National Animal Poison Control Center at 1-888-426-4435.

Handling

Handle with care! Rabbits have fragile skeletons and can be seriously injured if dropped or allowed to fall.

When picked up, a scared rabbit may kick out with her powerful hind legs and fall to the floor, breaking her back. A child struggling to hold a wiggly bunny could be badly scratched or bitten and the rabbit injured. For this reason and others, children should always be supervised with rabbits. Also, because rabbits are prey animals, they would rather not be picked up, but prefer that you meet them at their level and pet them on the floor. To pick up a rabbit correctly, place one hand under the rabbit behind the front legs and the other hand just above the bunny’s tail. Hug the rabbit against your body firmly but gently.

NEVER pick up a rabbit by the ears — this is very painful and can cause permanent injury.

NEVER chase your rabbit, use force or yell — that will only teach her to fear you. Always be sensitive and gentle with your rabbit!

Grooming

Keep your bun looking good.

Rabbits are clean animals and should generally not be bathed.

Trim rabbit nails, front and back, every six to eight weeks. Comb your bunny gently with a fine-toothed flea comb about once a week—more if he is shedding, to prevent fur balls. Rabbits cannot cough up fur balls like a cat. If your bunny gets fleas, carefully groom with a flea comb, dipping it in soapy water as needed. “Advantage” (but not necessarily other, similar products) has been used on rabbits with success; follow directions and keep bunnies separate until completely absorbed. NEVER use FRONTLINE or a flea dip or a flea collar—these are toxic to rabbits. Rough fur, “dandruff,” or loss of fur can mean fur mites or ringworm—see your vet, as these conditions can easily be treated with medication.

Housing

Set up your bunny house.

Secure puppy or rabbit pens 30-36” tall are best for indoor “starter” housing. If bunny jumps out, you can clip a sheet across the top of the pen for a couple of weeks until she establishes boundaries. You can put linoleum or plastic chair mats over your carpet or flooring during “potty training” and to prevent bunny from chewing or digging the carpet. We like the saying, “pen the electronics, not the rabbits!” because that gives bunnies the most space while protecting your home. Please note that playpens must be indoors only for safety reasons; outdoor pens either trap bunnies so they cannot get away from predators, or don’t hold rabbits in (bunnies will tunnel under unless pens have a bottom).

The X-Pen (Exercise pen or playpen) Option
X-pens are dog exercise pens that can be purchased at local pet supply stores. They cost as much or less than a large cage. You can find “small animal” exercise pens, too, on-line and at some stores. 36” tall pen is suggested. Until you can be sure bunny won’t escape over the top, just clip a sheet to the top of the pen creating a roof (this can be removed after a few weeks) or purchase a taller pen. Pens can be adjusted to fit various spaces/size.

X-Pen Benefits

– If your rabbit is not able to live in a larger indoor bunny-proofed room or area, then an X-Pen is the next best thing.

– Room for bunny to exercise a bit

– Easier for human companions to interact with the rabbit; bunny does not “defend” against
you like in a cage.

– Room for large toys, cardboard boxes, tunnels, hide-aways.

– Much easier to clean than a cage especially when the rabbit is spayed/neutered and litter box trained.

Setup: use hard waterproof flooring (hard plastic desk mat, linoleum) to protect your floor, wrap an old sheet tightly around flooring, and set up the pen on top of the sheet/flooring. The setup in the photo above shows rabbits on seagrass mats over a linoleum floor. Add litter box layered with litter and fresh hay (oat or timothy), toys, water dish, dish for pellets etc.

Alternatives to the exercise pen: put a baby gate or Dutch door across the doorway to one room, and bunny-proof that room; section off a corner for your bunny; build your own large, indoor rabbit habitat using 1” x 2” welded wire and untreated lumber.

Rabbits do not tolerate heat, dampness, or drafts. Your rabbit should be in a quiet, safe location close enough to human activity so she doesn’t become lonely.

Don’t forget – Bunny still needs exercise time outside of the pen, unless it’s a very large enclosure!

Outdoor housing is dangerous and not recommended.

Rabbits are prone to heat stroke (anything over 85 degrees is life-threatening) and can be killed by raccoons, hawks, dogs, feral cats, fly strike and other predators. Rabbits are great escape artists: they can burrow under backyard fences or squeeze out of very small openings, never to be seen again. Raccoons are adept at opening hutch doors and rabbits can die from a heart attack when a predator attempts to break in.

We do not advocate housing rabbits outdoors. Supervised exercise time outside may or may not be safe, depending on your setup and the level of supervision; but we do not recommend that. It takes only a moment for tragedy to strike and we have heard many stories of hawks, coyotes, dogs on retractable leashes or other animals killing rabbits right in front of their caretakers.

What you Need for your Bunny

to block off an area in your home for the rabbit to live in. 36″ or taller for most, but 30″ pens can work if a sheet is clipped over the top during the first week or so to prevent the rabbit from jumping over. Make sure the bunny cannot stick its head through the wire or get stuck. Pens are not recommended for outdoor housing; they are not predator-proof but trap bunny so she cannot get away.

Outdoor housing is not recommended. If the rabbit must live outdoors, purchase or build a large hutch (minimum 2′ x 4′ per rabbit) with solid flooring.

Bunny Pellets:
We recommend a timothy-based pellet such as Oxbow Bunny Basics T for adults (rabbits 8 months and over, done growing) and an alfalfa-based pellet such as Oxbow Bunny Basics 15/23 for babies and growing bunnies. Kaytee Supreme plain pellets, with no nuts or seeds, is the best widely-available alternative to people who find the Oxbow products too expensive.

Water/Food Dishes:
heavy crocks or clip-on dishes. Crocks are usually preferable to water bottles–they can be easily cleaned and bunnies drink more water from a crock. Food dishes should be small, water dishes, large.

Toys/Treats
Hard plastic toys such as jingle balls and barrels for cats and birds make good bunny toys. The rabbit should not be able to ingest or get caught on any element of the toy. Pet store treats are usually not recommended for rabbits (check the ingredients before buying). Small pieces of fresh fruit (see recommended fruit list) or dried applewood twigs are better for bunny.

Flea Products (for ‘outdoor bunnies’ or those in contact with cats and dogs that go outdoors):
Advantage is the best product. The 0-9 lb. cat tubes are recommended to prevent overdose. Half the recommended dose is usually effective and safer for the bunny. Because rabbits groom themselves and each other constantly, care must be taken to follow the instructions on the packet. NEVER use flea collars, dips, Frontline (all potentially fatal) or other flea products that have not been extensively tested on rabbits. Remember “A” is for Advantage, “F” is for Fatal and Frontline!

When you change bunny’s box, pour a thin coat of vinegar on the bottom of the box, let it soak for a few minutes, then rinse; you’ll have no odor and no build-up. Vinegar also works miracles in getting urine off linoleum, tiles and wood and helping litterbox-train your bunny. You will want to keep bunny’s living quarters scrupulously clean. Rabbits don’t tolerate molds and must have a clean environment, but they are also sensitive to cleaning products such as bleach and other caustic cleaners.

What NOT to buy:

NO Wire Cages. Wire cages cause hutch sores and are usually too small to provide humane housing.

NO Harnesses. Most harnesses are not constructed properly and bunny can strangle, get loose, or break her back from a sudden stop. Harnesses cannot protect the rabbit or caretaker from predator attacks.

NO Hay Racks. These don’t provide the amount of hay bunny needs. Rabbits can get their feet caught in the racks and hang.

NO Seed & Nut Treats. Too fattening as well as choking hazards.

NO Yogurt Drops. These ‘treats’ are made of milk and sucrose–very bad for rabbits!

NO Exercise Balls & Wheels. These are really cruel for a rabbit.

Also not necessary: vitamin drops for the water. That is not the way to provide vitamins for your bunnies.

Rabbit-Proofing

Rabbit-proofing your home is critical to your rabbit’s safety.

Once your rabbit has learned to use the litter box, you can give him or her more freedom in your home–provided you have rabbit-proofed. Rabbit-proofing involves protecting your rabbit from electrocution, carpet fibers, poisonous plants, strings, candles, lead paint, and so on. As an added benefit, rabbit-proofing also protects your valuable material possessions, your antique furniture, rare books, and expensive gossamer curtains.

Thorough rabbit-proofing is critical to your rabbit’s safety: rabbits cannot cough up (regurgitate), and operations on their digestive systems are rarely successful. Electrical cords are irresistible to most rabbits and very dangerous. Don’t count on “training” your rabbit not to chew cords; rabbits are smart and quickly learn that when you are not in the room, they can get away with anything. Providing distractions in the form of rabbit-safe chew toys, such as untreated willow chews and cardboard houses, may help. But the only certain way to prevent harm to your rabbit is to create physical barriers between your rabbit and hazards in your home.

Consider reserving one rabbit-proofed room for your bunnies with a baby gate across the doorway, or construct a completely safe “rabbit living room” with puppy exercise pens. To rabbit-proof a room, lift all electrical cords out of reach or cover them completely with cable wrap that your rabbit cannot chew through. Remove all dangerous or destructible objects from reach.

Troubleshooting

Is your rabbit chewing under the bed? Tack hardware cloth to the box spring. Or consider installing a space-saving bunk bed.

Replace carpeting with tile or wood flooring if at all possible (that’s better for you, too: carpets harbor molds, bacteria and allergens). Block off the entertainment center altogether instead of attempting to cover all those wires.

The good news: rabbits can’t jump or reach beyond 3 feet. So once you have rabbit-proofed below that level, you’re home free. Just don’t leave any chairs pulled out!

Litter Box Training

Yes, rabbits can be litter box trained!

Most rabbits can be litter-trained and allowed supervised freedom in the house. Start with a large cat litter box; put newspaper and/or rabbit-safe litter on the bottom and cover it with lots of fresh timothy or oat hay. Since a rabbit usually urinates in one corner of his space, this is where you place the litter box. Once the bunny uses the box reliably, you can let him out into a larger area, putting out a second box. Keep bunny confined to a 4’ x 4’ space until he is very good with his box.

During the two weeks following neuter surgery, or when you first bring your adopted bunny home, confine him to a puppy pen with linoleum or a hard plastic desk mat underneath, or large dog crate with solid, moisture-proof flooring and a large litter box in the corner. Not a little triangular box, but a BIG cat box or cement mixing box made from hard plastic. Line the litter box with rabbit-safe litter (see our suggested products page), then top off with handfuls of grass hay, such as oat blend or timothy.

Whenever you see your rabbit hop into the box, praise him. Rabbits are quite sensitive and respond well to positive reinforcement. Don’t scold your bunny for not using the box. Instead, clean up urine with white vinegar, which completely removes the smell, and sweep up fecal pellets, placing them into the box where they belong.

Tips to help speed up and improve box training

Use a paper towel to soak up “accidents” and place it in the litter box.

Keep the floor outside the box scrupulously clean.

Provide a bigger litter box and/or a second litter box with soft litter and no hay.

Use a brand of rabbit-safe litter that has very little odor of its own.

Put fresh hay in the box several times daily to encourage bunny to hop in.

Within a few weeks of training, most neutered rabbits will use the litter box. The occasional stray “bunny pellet” can usually be expected, although some rabbits have perfect box habits.

After thorough box-training, rabbits can be given more space in a bunny-proofed area of the home and are on their way to becoming well-behaved house bunnies.

Troubleshooting

Bunny goes everywhere besides the box, and tends to nap in the box. Your rabbit is sending you a clear signal that s/he needs a second box, one to sleep in, one to “go” in.

Bunny’s hopping all over and leaving pellets all over, too. The biggest mistake new bunny parents make is to give the rabbit too much space, too soon. Wait until your bunny’s box habits are as good as they are going to be, before letting him or her run “free” in the home.

Bunny has picked a spot to use for the “bathroom” and goes there religiously. It isn’t the spot you had in mind. Once a bunny has made up his mind that the latrine is located in a particular area, it’s hard to convince him otherwise. Just put a litter box there.

Bonding

Rabbits are herd animals and like to have friends of the same species. Consider getting your rabbit a bunny for companionship.

Neutered boy-girl pairs get along best, although neutered litter-mates of the same gender often stay friends. Bunny matchmaking can be dangerous, so always consult with a rabbit rescue group for tips on bonding, before you put one rabbit into another rabbit’s territory.

Basic Rules

Rabbits must be spayed and neutered for a minimum of 2 weeks, preferably for over a month, prior to introduction. Exception: babies under 6 weeks of age can usually be quickly and easily combined with other babies.

Rabbits must be introduced and bonded in neutral territory. This means no house, litter box, or other property of a resident rabbit. Rabbits are extremely territorial and it’s unlikely they will accept another rabbit into their personal space without a fight.

It’s best to let the rabbits choose their friends. This is usually done using “speed dates” at the rabbit rescue or adoption venue. You should allow an absolute minimum of 1-2 hours of dating time once your rabbit has chosen a friend, to best evaluate the potential of the bond working. When rabbits are introduced, they may be too tense for the first hour to show their true colors.

Male-female bonds tend to be the most stable, but personality trumps sex. Two dominant rabbits are least likely to work out, while subservient, easygoing rabbits, especially if they are elderly or disabled, can often be bonded with rabbits of the same sex.

Rabbits should be of similar energy level and health condition. Babies should only be bonded with other babies. Likewise, elderly and disabled rabbits should only be bonded with other compromised or at least sedentary rabbits. Severely compromised or ill rabbits should be allowed to recover before attempting bonding.

What is the safest way to bond two rabbits?

Set up two playpens side by side in your home with a 6-12” spacer in between them to prevent injury. Every other day, switch litter boxes to get the scent from one rabbit intermingled with the scent of the other. After about a week of this, begin switching rabbits between the pens. The litter boxes should be as close as they can get inside the pens, so that the rabbits are eating and using the box near one another. After a few weeks, you’re ready to introduce the rabbits. The best way to do this is to set up a large pen in a neutral territory. At this point, you may also be able to open up the two pens where they are and put several obstacles in them while monitoring the bonding (see below). I have done several bondings at my home in this fashion. Bonding slowly, over time, is the least stressful, safest option for the rabbits when their caretakers work full time or do not have the time or energy to bond them quickly over a few days.

When and how do you set up the pen or room for bonding?

Start in the morning, and give yourself the whole day to work on the bond. That way it’s less likely they will fight when you go to sleep. Do not leave your rabbits unsupervised for a minute during the first few hours. Some people sleep with or at least near their rabbits for the first night of bonding.

Work with a large space and plenty of obstacles such as cardboard boxes with holes cut in them, carriers, or tubes. Make sure there is no place for the rabbits to go into and fight where you cannot reach them, i.e. if there’s a couch in the room, block it off.

Rabbits bond over food. Give them lots of hay and veggies to share.

Litter boxes can be a source of tension if one rabbit occupies a box and immediately establishes territory. You may want to provide more than one box, or encourage the rabbits to come out of the box.

Bonding tips and techniques

Sit with the rabbits next to one another on your lap, facing in the same direction. Pet both. Let them relax a bit, making sure neither reaches to bite the other. After a few minutes, allow them to move about the bonding area, but continue monitoring them closely.

When you are stuck, that is, the rabbits are avoiding one another or are skirmishing, take them on a scary car ride: put them together in a top-opening carrier and go on a car ride (but never in the middle of the day or when it’s hot). Move the carrier until you get the car started or they could fight in the carrier. Once you’re in a moving vehicle, it’s highly unlikely they will fight. If they do, the bond isn’t going to work out. A scary car ride can be simulated using a wheeled cart.

Do not allow aggression to escalate; that creates a negative history. To diffuse tension or stop circling before it turns into a fight, try one or more of the following: whistle, clap your hands, or simply reach in and press one rabbit’s head gently to the floor in submissive pose. Be aware that you could get bitten if reaching into the middle of a fight.

What behaviors do you tolerate, and which are ok?

Humping, nipping, bickering, or chasing are all ok as long as no rabbit is traumatized. Bonded rabbits often chase one another and some even pull out fur.

Circling or fighting has to be broken up. Circling is a precursor to the rabbits latching onto one another with their teeth and then kicking with their back feet, potentially inflicting serious wounds.

When do you call off the bonding?

One of the rabbits stops eating.

One of the rabbits acts traumatized by trembling constantly.

A rabbit screams.

A rabbit sustains a serious injury requiring stitches and antibiotics.

How long should you wait before re-introducing two rabbits after calling off the bonding, presuming you intend to keep both rabbits?
6 weeks seems to be a good benchmark. In the meantime, keep switching rabbits between territories or exchanging litter boxes.

How do you know the rabbits are “bonded”?
Bonding is a process. The rabbits are on their way to forming a friendship when they live together for 48 hours without fighting. It’s relatively rare for rabbits to fight seriously if they have co-existed for that length of time. They’re on the way to becoming a rabbit family unit. After a few weeks of co-existing, the relationship may change, and you may notice more snuggling and grooming. Even if you do not see a deepening of the relationship, at this point the rabbits should be considered bonded.

What do you do if one rabbit doesn’t groom the other?
Nothing. Not all rabbit pairs will groom one another. It’s common for one rabbit to do more grooming than the other, and that’s ok as long as the rabbits get along. As social animals, rabbits enjoy living, eating, and sleeping with or near other rabbits, without necessarily being soulmates. After a few weeks of living together, rabbits have already formed a bond.

Once the rabbits are bonded, do not separate them!

Never Put Un-neutered Rabbits Together

Adult males will fight; adult females will fight; one of each will lead to an unwanted pregnancy.

Dogs, Cats and Other Animals

Always carefully supervise and protect your rabbit from other animals!

Gentle, indoor cats usually work out a good relationship with rabbits, but the introduction must be slow and supervised. Dogs must be quiet, obedience-trained, and well behaved for them to have a safe relationship with a rabbit. Most dogs cannot be left alone with a rabbit. The mere sight of a ferret or snake can cause a rabbit to have a heart attack. Do not expect a dog, cat, or other animal to behave around a rabbit.